Enrollment Up & Pressure Mounts – Supporting Higher Education Business Leaders

Overall college enrollment ticked up 1% in fall 2025 compared to the previous year, a gain of 187,000 students.
Undergraduate enrollment drove overall growth with a 1.2% year-over-year increase, as community colleges and four-year public institutions saw 3% and 1.4% bumps, respectively.
Undergraduate enrollment declined 1.6% at private four-year nonprofits and 2% at four-year for-profits.
Other parts of the sector also dipped. Graduate enrollment sagged 0.3%, pushed by a 5.9% decline of international students in these programs, the clearinghouse found.

Concept3D’s Second Annual Salary Report provides compensation trends

$75,000 – Median salary for higher ed marketers in 2025 (up from $72,000)
75% – Received a salary increase in the past year
52% – Still say higher ed pay is not competitive with other industries
74% – Have considered leaving higher education for another industry, citing compensation.
Hybrid work leads at 57%, though demand for fully remote roles still outpaces availability.